Friday, April 18, 2014

Here at Focusing On Life we touch on many different subjects
and topics and we tend to “focus” on one theme for each month. Some are specific like the color “red” and
others lean to interpretation such as “joy”.
This month we are focusing on one of the most concrete “things” in our
life….earth and with the celebration of Earth Day being next Tuesday, April 22
I felt today’s post should reflect that most significant topic, the great Earth
beneath us.

There are those that practice mindfulness of the earth each day by rising
every morning, immediately kneel, and touch their forehead to the ground, helping
them to begin their day with humility and gratitude for the earth that holds
us.

All day we walk, run and drive around the surface of the
earth usually completely unaware that the earth is the platform of our life,
with a force of gravity that supports
our every step and grounding our lives.

Many times during the day we tend to “be in our heads”
distracted and easily thrown off balance.
We can end that distraction by drawing our attention from our head to
our feet, and in doing so we can feel more solid, grounded and less swayed by
thoughts or emotions. A Zen Monk writes….

“I like to walk alone on country paths, rice plants and wild
grasses on both sides,

putting each foot down on the earth in mindfulness,

knowing that I walk on the wondrous earth.

In such moments, existence is a
miraculous and mysterious reality.

People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle.

But I think the real miracle is to walk on
earth….a miracle we don’t even recognize.”

So let us always be aware of this great miracle that supports our
every step and treat it with the kindness and respect that is the perpetual platform of
our lives.

15
comments:

Deanna - this is absolutely beautiful. Each image is perfect and I found your words very moving this morning. I have often said that I am thankful to have feet to put on the ground each morning - you remind me to also be thankful for the ground I put them on. Enjoy your weekend ,all.

So very true, and often taken for granted! I love the feel and smell of the fresh grass, and sand under my bare feet…it renews my soul and makes me stop and give thanks to this beautiful and mysterious earth! Great post, and awesome photos…thanks for sharing and have a great weekend!

What a beautiful reminder of this planet that we are so lucky to inhabit! Your photos are stunning examples and your words so inspirational! How can we not be grateful for this place we live in? Thank you for this wonderful post to start my day.

"A miracle we don’t even recognize"... I've never come to think about the earth in this way but your words and the quote you've chosen make me realize the importance. We are so easily distracted not to pay attention to what is really important. Thank you, Deanna.

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